ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)
With the cost of living higher than what most wages pay, ALICE families work hard and earn above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but do not earn enough to afford a basic household budget consisting of
- housing,
- child care,
- food,
- transportation and
- health care.
May 27, 2020
In Charlotte County 30% of households (approximately 29,964 households)* fall into the category of ALICE, while another 10% of Charlotte County households live at Federal Poverty Level, meaning that close to half (40%) are struggling to meet basic needs.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL – Collaboration has been the key to reducing poverty in Charlotte County, and with the ongoing impact of COVID-19, collaboration will be crucial to unlock continued progress toward helping local families meet their basic needs. The most recent ALICE Report, released today by the United Way of Florida, showed a decline in households living in poverty in Charlotte County as well as a decline in households that fall within the scope of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). To read a copy of the report and find county-by-county and town-level data on the size and demographics of ALICE as well as the community conditions and costs faced by ALICE households, visit www.UnitedForALICE.org/Florida.
The 2020 ALICE Report shows improvement for Charlotte County: 10% of households were below the Federal Poverty Level and 30% fell into the ALICE category. “When COVID-19 hit, we had gone from 45% of our families struggling to 40%,” said United Way of Charlotte County Executive Director, Angie Matthiessen. “We have undoubtedly taken a step back with the unprecedented, and still undetermined, economic impact of the crisis, but Charlotte County will rebound.” To read more, click here.
Click here to read the ALICE 2020 Press Release Post Covid-19
For more information or to find data about ALICE in local communities, visit www.UnitedForALICE.org/Florida
For local data on the health of Charlotte County, read the 2020 Community Health & Needs Assessment
*It is important to note that the figures for the 2020 ALICE Report use a slightly revised methodology and are not able to be directly compared to previous ALICE figures. This improved methodology includes a more localized reflection of household costs, a better reflection of household compositions, and a more realistic reflection of the survival budget of those age 65 and over (e.g. lower transportation costs, but higher costs for treatment of chronic conditions).
This revised methodology indicates that in fact, 49% (36,700) of Charlotte County households were truly struggling in 2016 (2018 report). The 2018 data (2020 report), as presented in this latest report, shows a decrease to 40%, (10% in poverty; 30% ALICE) which equates to approximately 29,964 households. NOTE - with the previous methodology in the 2018 report, the number of ALICE households was reported to be 45% or 33,816 which was noted in UWCC Strategic Plan. The revised methodology will be utilized moving forward when tracking Charlotte County ALICE households).
An accurate and comprehensive measure of the scope of financial hardship is not easily defined using the existing official economic indicators (e.g. Federal Poverty Level, Consumer Price Index). The ALICE measures address these shortcomings to more accurately identify and assess financial hardship in the U.S. and have become a leading standard for quantifying the basic cost of living, identifying and assessing financial hardship, identifying gaps in assistance and community resources, and tracking change over time. This new methodology paints a more accurate picture of the problem through each household’s unique makeup and needs. The chart below includes figures using the modified ALICE methodology.